Star Trek:Odyssey 6:Incubus
by rylansato
Summary: Some members of the crew are experiencing weird dreams. Normally this wouldn't be a problem but these dreams all have something to do with what happened in the past and are somehow related to the crewmember who is having the dream.
1. Valiant

Star Trek Odyssey: Episode 6: Incubus

_Captain's Log: Stardate: 57497.1. We are in the Beloti Sector headed back towards Federation Space. We had just dropped off the Talarian Ambassador on the Talarian home world from a meeting on Starbase Two fourteen. We currently have no assignments so I'm allowing the crew to take it easy for once._

Commander Jason Sparhawk turned around and to his surprise noticed that he was no longer in his quarters or in his pajamas. He was on the bridge of a Defiant class ship and in his uniform. He looked around and saw nothing but cadets. Correction, cadets and a Ferengi ensign.

"What the hell? Where am I?"

No one seemed to notice Sparhawk standing there. He walked in front of the so called captain and waved his hand in front of his face. There was no reaction. Then a familiar voice came from station left of the command chair.

"They've spotted us. They're dropping out of warp."

The voice caused Jason to direct his attention from the person from which it came. He walked over the console and to his surprise it was his step-sister Karen Farris.

"Helm, go to impulse."

"Aye, sir."

"We are in visual range."

"Visual range of what? Who are they going up against?" Sparhawk said.

"On screen." Watters said.

Jason turned around to see that a Jem'Hadar Battleship was in their sites.

Watters stood up and walked towards the screen. He had a certain look to his face. A look of "what have I gotten us into?" look. The bridge crew was in awe. The ship was huge compared to the Defiant class Valiant.

"Lay in a strafing course along their superstructure and make it close. That way they can't get a weapons lock on us. I want to scrape some paint off their hull, Lieutenant."

"Aye, sir."

"You can't be serious." Jason said. "That thing will tear this ship apart."

"Raise shields, arm phasers. Fire at any targets of opportunity as we pass."

"Aye, sir." Farris said.

Sparhawk turned back to his sister. "Are you kidding me, Kar?" He said forgetting that this had already happened and she couldn't hear him. Sparhawk remembered that this was the battle that destroyed the Valiant. But he had figured the ship was trying to get home and got caught by the Dominion, not picking a fight with Jem'Hadar battleship. He could do nothing but stand by and watch the events that took the life of his sister play out.

"Torpedo status?"

"Torpedoes ready, sir."

"Come on, Nog. You should know that you out rank everyone here. They are all cadets."

"Defense system ready." Farris called out.

"Helm ready." Shepard said.

"All right, Mister Shepard. Take us in."

Sparhawk watched helplessly as the Valiant engaged the enemy. The battleship opened fire on the Valiant. The Valiant rocks hard from the impact of the battleship's fire.

"Shields holding." Farris called out.

"Fire at will." Watters ordered.

The Valiant fires its pulse phasers at the Jem'Hadar ship while it takes on damage as well. Sparks fly out of a rear console and kills a cadet, sending him over across the tactical island behind him.

"Helm, hard about. Tactical, get a target lock on those braces."

"What braces?" Sparhawk said.

He didn't bother thinking to himself because no one here could hear him. He walked over to his sister's station to figure out what they were talking about.

Two cadets come in to carry out the body of the dead cadet just as Dorian Collins comes in to take over the dead cadet's station.

"They're trying to jam our sensors." Farris called out.

"Mister Nog, initiate countermeasures."

"I'm on it."

Sparhawk saw the display screen and saw that they were referring to the support braces for the antimatter storage system.

"That's not going to work."

"Torpedo…locked."

"Full power to the forward shields. Helm, plot an escape course down the Z-axis." Watters said.

"Ready."

"Engage."

The Valiant fired its weapons as the battleship turned and fired.

"They're turning to port." Shepard said.

"Match them, Helm. Keep us on track."

The ship rocks again.

"Hull breach on deck two." Collins called out. "Emergency forcefields are in place."

Sparhawk slammed his hand against the bulkhead. "Damn it, can't you see that this plan isn't going to work." He said futilely.

"Steady our course, helm. I can't maintain targeting lock."

The battleship gets larger on the screen. The battleship continues to fire and hits the Valiant. A console exploded taking out another cadet. Karen looked back, slightly traumatized. She looks as if she is unsure about this mission now.

"Karen, it's all yours. Fire when ready."

Watters order seem to strengthen Karen but only slightly.

"Understood. Just a little closer."

The ship rocks again.

"We're losing our port shields." Shepard reported.

"Steady as she goes…torpedoes away."

The torpedoes slam into the target and explode. The Valiant flies away from the exploding Dominion ship.

"Aft view on screen."

The Jem'Hadar ship looks to be engulfed in the explosion and the bridge crew cheers. Once the explosion dies down, the crew realizes that the ship wasn't destroyed.

"Did we miss the target?" Watters asked.

"No, sir. It was a direct hit. It just…didn't work."

"Orders, Captain?" Shepard asked.

Watters tried to shake off their failure. He knew it was time to get out of there. The ship began to rock again under the fire from the battleship.

"Lay in a new course. One two seven mark three two…"

Consoles explode all around the bridge, one of which causes Watters to violently fly back in his chair, knocking it out of position and him rolling onto the floor. Burns and blood cover his face. Sparhawk didn't have to go check on him. He knew that he was already dead.

Karen looked back to her dead commander and then slowly turned her head towards her console. One could tell just by looking at her that it was affecting her deeply. She wasn't ready for this type of assignment. None of them were.

"Hull breach on deck two. Deck three. Deck four."

"Come on, Karen. Get them out of here." Sparhawk said.

"Evasive maneuvers. Bring us about to course one two seven mark three two zero."

"I've lost helm control."

"Main powers offline." Nog reported. "I'm rerouting the…"

More consoles explode. First taking out Farris and then Shepard. Sparhawk looked in horror as he saw the events of what had killed his sister. He knelt down beside in hopes that she would still be alive but he knew she wasn't. She had been dead for almost six years. He still couldn't hold back his sadness. He gripped her lifeless hand and closed his eyes tightly. Despite the heat from the fires and the smoke in the air that proceeded into his lungs, he wanted to stay with his sister.

Then it all stopped. He no longer felt the heat or had trouble breathing. He opened his eyes and realized that he was in his quarters again and no longer in his uniform.

_What the hell was that all about? It seemed so real._

He could feel tears beginning to well up in his eyes. He couldn't allow them to fall so he quickly wiped them from existence.

_It was only a dream._

However, despite it being a dream, it still bothered him to witness what had killed his sister. He had to talk to someone about it. He reached over and hit the comm. button on his bedside panel.

"Sparhawk to Counselor Nycz."

"Go ahead, Commander."

"I'm sorry to bother you so late, do you have a minute?"

"Sure, meet me in my office and we'll talk."

"Thanks. Sparhawk out."

Before actually getting out of bed he lied there looking at the ceiling thinking about his step-sister.


	2. AR558

Jason Sparhawk sat with Christine Nycz in her office discussing the events of the dream that Sparhawk had had. It really wasn't the fact that the dream was so realistic, the disturbing part was that Sparhawk had witnessed his sister's death. That was the part that he wanted to talk about with Christine.

"Tell me about your sister." She asked.

"Well, my father died at the battle of Wolf three five nine. He served on the Yamaguchi. I had just been accepted to Starfleet academy when I heard the news. Two years later, my mom met a man whose wife died of a disease around the same time that my father died. That's when I met Karen. Like me she was an only child and we became close almost instantly. She entered the academy during my third year there. We saw each other when we could and then she became a member of Red Squad. We were so proud of her when she made Red Squad." Christine smiled as Jason spoke highly of his sister. Then her smile faded when his did. "The last I had talked to her was when she and the rest of Red Squad were assigned to the Valiant to circumnavigate the Federation. Then the Dominion War broke out and we lost contact with her. I tried to keep the family's hopes up during that time but that's hard to do when you start to think the worst." Christine nodded in acknowledgement. "I was on the Thunderchild when the casualty report was posted. I damn near dropped to my knees."

He looked out the window of Nycz's office into the Shinjitsu Nebula that they had just entered hours ago and because of its vastness, the ship would be in the nebula for a few days. This particular nebula was odd in color. It was purple and pink on one side and blue and green on the other. The two colors clashed in the middle and looked as if they were doing battle. It was a beauty to behold. It also allowed Jason to gather himself to finish his story. He turned his gaze back towards the counselor. "I later found out that the Valiant had one survivor: Dorian Collins. The first chance I got, I went to go see her and asked about my sister. She was still recovering from the battle at the time but she didn't mind talking about Karen."

"How does it make you feel," Christine asked. "Seeing and knowing the actual events that killed your sister?"

"Obviously saddened. I'm a little upset because they picked a fight they couldn't win and she was so young and had her whole life ahead of her. If they would've turned tail and ran, no one would've thought badly of them." He stopped talking to not only think about what he was going to say next but to also make sure he wasn't going to lose it now, especially after six years. However, his halfway healed wounds were opened again by this out of nowhere dream. Christine placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I don't feel as empty as I used to but I still miss her, probably even more so now than before."

Dustin Zofchak walked confusedly through a cavern and then into an opening. To his surprise he saw battle worn Starfleet officers. He didn't realize where he was immediately, until he saw Captain Sisko peering over a makeshift barricade with a type 3 phaser rifle resting on his shoulder. He knew he was on AR-558. He approached the barricade and noticed that no one bothered looking at him. He waved his hands in front of several officers to none of which reacted.

_I'm obviously in the past. Did I time travel somehow? No, because if I did, they'd be able to see me. What the hell is going on, then?_

As he was looking around he noticed an officer in a crouched position, with an attentive look on her face, ready to strike at a moments notice. It was Avery. He practically sprinted over to her.

"Avery, you're alive." He said as he hugged her.

The hug however wasn't returned. It was like hugging a statue. She didn't move at all, with the exception of looking down to make sure her phaser rifle was working. It appeared to Zofchak that he was in a strictly objective position. Knowing his sister wouldn't survive this battle, he decided to "spend time" with her and took a sitting position next to her. He noticed how ragged she looked. Her hair was messed up, her face was dirty. She had her uniform unzipped revealing her yellow division undershirt.

"So Avery, how's it going?"

Naturally she didn't respond but he wished she would. He didn't really find it odd that he was asking irrelevant questions to his dead sister in a dream. The times that he went to Avery's grave, he'd sit there and talk to her. Amanda would do the same thing whenever she'd go. He and Amanda have planned to go to Avery's grave every year for Avery's birthday but unfortunately due to Starfleet matters, they have only been able to go twice since her death. He felt ashamed for not being able to do so but knew that Avery would understand since she was a Starfleet officer.

At that moment, music came on through the comm. system. It sounded like song that would've been a hit back in the early twentieth century. Zofchak looked around the cavern and saw Bashir come out and crouch next to Ezri Dax.

_This must be his handiwork. _

He turned back to his sister and saw a tear escape her control and slid down her cheek. She quickly wiped its existence away and returned her attention to the front of her. He sat down next to her. He began his one sided conversation.

"Amanda and I are doing well. She is now aboard the Solent and I'm Chief Engineer of the Alexandria. Neither one of us are seeing anyone although there is a girl that I serve with that I want to ask out on a date. Her name is Hoshi…"

He was cut off by explosions going off in the distance. Avery readied herself and Dustin looked to the direction the explosions were coming from. He could see light flare up when an explosion went off. Then there was silence. Dustin's pulse quickened as if he was actually there. He watched Avery grip her phaser rifle and close her eyes for a few seconds before opening them again. Then they all heard the sounds of war cries of the Jem'Hadar. Seconds later, they emerged.

"FIRE!" Sisko shouted.

The Starfleet officers began their attack. They all fired at will at the Jem'Hadar soldiers. One by one, the Jem'Hadar fell, but they still kept coming. They reached the barricade and broke through.

Avery stood up and continued to fire her rifle and kill the charging Jem'Hadar. A Jem'Hadar came up behind Avery and hit her at the base of the neck with its rifle butt. Avery dropped to the ground but wasn't out. She leaned to one side and kicked out with her foot, catching her enemy's knee and breaking it. The Jem'Hadar fell and Avery fired. Another rushed at her.

"AVERY, BEHIND YOU!" Dustin shouted futily.

She turned around as if she heard him and pulled the trigger to her rifle. Nothing happened. The Jem'Hadar pointed and was just about to pull the trigger when it felt the butt end of a federation phaser rifle slam into its face. More Jem'Hadar approached Avery and she swung her rifle around like a bat. She took out two more Jem'Hadar soldiers before one was able to hit her with its rifle and send her to the ground. She was still alive and attempted to fight back but three Jem'Hadar soldiers ganged up and brutally beat her to death.

"STOP IT! STOP IT RIGHT NOW!" Dustin yelled. He hit one of the soldiers but it did nothing. He could feel the soldiers but his strikes weren't having any effect on them. Then out of no where phaser blasts struck the soldiers one by one. Dustin turned around to see Sisko firing.

_Thank you, Captain._

Dustin turned back to his fallen sister. He knelt down next to her. He was sad but proud that she went out fighting.

"I'm sorry Avery, I'm sorry that I wasn't here for you." He bent further over and placed a kiss on Avery's bloodied for head. "Goodbye, Avery."

When he leaned up, he was at his desk in his quarters on the Alexandria. He looked around confused and disoriented.

_Wow, that was too real. I gotta stop drinking so many ratkajinos._

He pressed a button on his LCARS screen and the Federation symbol appeared.

"Computer, connect me through to the USS Solent. Contact Lieutenant Amanda Zofchak."


	3. Tarsus IV

A day later, Hoshi walked onto the bridge. It was during Delta shift and the illumination of the bridge was a bit lower than usual. Normally, she'd be in bed at this time but the person she needed to see was on duty during the late shift. Counselor Nycz sat in the center seat of the bridge. She saw Hoshi round her normal seat she sits in when the captain is around. She also saw the look on Hoshi's face.

"What can I do for you, Commander?"

"Well…" Hoshi let out a small laugh. "It's really little but I feel like I need to talk to someone about and I don't want to bother Commander Zofchak at this hour and since you're the counselor, I figure that you'd be the best person to come to."

"Okay, come with me and we'll talk."

Christine stood up from the chair and headed for one of rear doors that led to the observation lounge. She figured it'd be the best place for privacy with the exception of the captain's ready room but she didn't want to use it because it was called the captain's ready room.

"Mister Oliverio, you have the conn."

"Aye, sir." He said as she passed.

The doors to the conference room, where the senior staff usually held their meetings, opened and Nycz and Sato walked through. Christine took the chair on the end while Hoshi took the first seat on the corner where Commander Sparhawk usually sat.

"So what did you want to talk about?"

"Well." Hoshi hesitated for a few seconds before continuing. "I think I….I think I witnessed my own death."

Christine raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that? Did you actually see yourself die?"

"Well, not exactly. I had a dream and I think I saw an older version of me but the place looked like the past compared to now and it doesn't make sense but… I don't know."

Hoshi was clearly frustrated. She rested her elbows on the table, rubbed her face and then slid her hands through her hair.

"Can you describe the events of your dream to me?"

Hoshi began her story.

Hoshi Sato walked from behind a large boulder. The sky was gray overcast and no end in sight. It went past the mountain line that was in the distance.

_Where am I? Compared to the places I've been, this looks like the past. Why am I here?_

She saw people piling into a building. She was compelled to follow. As she was walking to the building she saw a group of young teenagers standing nearby as if they were hiding. She entered the building and everyone was either seated or standing. It was overly crowded and hard to maneuver through. It seemed as people didn't acknowledge her existence. The people she accidentally bumped into didn't even move or even notice that they were bumped into. She bumped into an elderly woman long grey hair. She instinctively turned to apologize but the features of the woman stunned Hoshi. The woman was of Asian descent and looked like an older version of Hoshi.

_Is that me? That can't be me._

A man next to the old woman pulled her close. He too was of Asian descent. The couple had a worried expression on their faces, as well as everyone else.

"The revolution is successful." A voice said.

Hoshi turned around to see a man with receding red hair, a red mustache and beard.

"But survival depends on drastic measures. Your continued existence represents a threat to the well-being of society. Your lives mean slow death to the more valued members of the colony. Therefore, I have no alternative but to sentence you to death. Your execution is so ordered, signed Kodos, Governor of Tarsus Four."

A frenzy almost immediately erupted. People rushed to the doors that were closed and barricaded in their faces. Kodos left the building by other means. Hoshi followed him out of the building. She passed a group of people who surrounded the building. Some were closing the windows and others lit torches that ended up being thrown to the base of the building. Hoshi could hear the screams of the people inside. She closed her eyes tightly and covered her ears. The attempt was futile; she could still hear the screams. She couldn't take it anymore and she ultimately screamed herself.

Christine sat attentively as Hoshi finished her story. Her left leg rested on the knee of her right with her hands clasped around the knee.

"You mentioned Kodos and Tarsus Four." Christine said. "A long time ago, Governor Kodos executed four thousand colonists on Tarsus Four because of some food epidemic. I'm not sure of the details but that's pretty common knowledge these days."

"Yeah, Dustin and I had covered that in my history lessons but we didn't go into extreme detail about it."

"I'm not sure why you would be connected to it. Have you ever looked up your personnel file?"

Hoshi shook her head. "No. I wasn't sure I wanted to know what it said."

"That's understandable but just remember that your file is on the Hoshi Sato of this universe not you, so if there is something on there that bothers you try to remember that. I know that's not too reassuring but it may help. Okay?" Christine put a comforting hand on Hoshi's shoulder.

Hoshi nodded before getting up. "Thank you, Counselor."

"Don't mention it. That's what I'm here for."

At that Hoshi left the room.

After a nights sleep without the dream of the Tarsus IV massacre, Hoshi awoke and after getting a shower and dressed, she strolled over to the computer terminal on her desk. She wasn't sure if she was ready or not to find out about her counterpart of this timeline. She figured she'd feel better about it with someone there. She tapped her comm. badge.

"Sato to Zofchak."

"Zofchak, here."

"Are you busy, Commander?"

"No not really."

"Do you mind coming to my quarters?"

"Sure. I'm on my way."

A few minutes later, Hoshi's door chimed.

"Come in."

The doors opened and Dustin entered. Hoshi spoke up before Dustin could ask his question.

"The reason I asked you to come to my quarters, is because I want to look up my personnel file and I feel like I need someone here with me and since you're the closest person to me on this ship minus Counselor Nycz, I figured…I figure I'd feel better with you here when I look at it."

"Sure." Dustin said. "I have no problem with you calling me here to look at your file with you."

A smile crept across Hoshi's face. She turned to the screen.

"Computer, display personnel file for Hoshi Sato."

Moments later a display appeared with a picture of Hoshi, looking to the upper right smiling, when she was first stationed aboard the NX-01 Enterprise.

"Born in Kyoto on July 9th, second child of three..." Hoshi skimmed the beginning of her profile because she knew it all until she reached the section after the Xindi missions. "In her late thirties, Sato created the linguacode translation matrix, married Takashi Kimura, she and her family moved to Tarsus Four." She stopped because she knew where this was headed. She looked to Dustin who came over and placed his hands on her shoulders. It seemed that his touch sent his strength to her. She turned back to the screen and continued to read. "Tragically, Hoshi and her family were among the four thousand people who died on Tarsus Four in twenty-two forty-six, when a food shortage caused by an exotic fungus threatened the colony's population. Governor Kodos ordered the deaths of Sato and the others in order to save the rest of the colony. She was buried in Kyoto with her husband."

Hoshi remained quiet for a few moments after reading that last paragraph. More information came after that paragraph but it was all about the Hoshi Sato from the alternate timeline.

Dustin lightly massaged her shoulders. "You okay?"

Hoshi nodded. "Now, I know what I dreamed but I want to know why?"

"You and me both." Dustin said.

Hoshi turned around and looked up to Dustin's face. "What do you mean?"


	4. Earth and the Bonchune

Captain Allensworth stood outside his old house. He looked around and recognized it as the neighborhood he grew up in. He casually walked up the steps and into his house. He heard commotion in a room. He walked down the hall and found the source of the talking. His father and his brother and sister not to mention a few friends of the family stood in the bedroom, huddled around the bed. He walked up and peered over the shoulder of his brother. His mother was lying in the bed and wasn't looking good.

"Mom?" He said.

He maneuvered around people and got to a closer position to his mother. She looked very weak and pale. His father held his wife's hand. Unable to take the sight, Allensworth's siblings walked out of the room. He saw their departure and followed them to see if he could gain any information onto what was going on.

"Isn't there anything we can do?" His brother asked.

His sister shook her head. "No, the doctor said there was nothing physically wrong with her."

"Then what is going on?"

"You've seen the way she's been acting since we lost Jermaine. It tore her apart to hear that Voyager had been lost."

_Ah, so that's it. Voyager has been gone for awhile and Starfleet must've reported her lost or destroyed._

At that moment there was a beeping sound coming from another room. Allensworth followed his siblings into the room. The beeping was an incoming transmission. Jermaine's brother hit the buttons to activate it. The screen switched to an older man that was balding on top and with grey hair around the sides. He looked like a chubbier version of Jean-Luc Picard. It was Admiral Paris.

"What can we do for you, Admiral?" Jermaine's sister asked.

"I would like to inform you that we received a message from a ship in the Delta Quadrant. It's Voyager."

At that moment, the eyes of Jermaine's siblings lit up and his brother darted out of the room and into the bedroom.

"Hey, everybody…" His smile and sentence was cut short by the scene he saw. Everyone's heads were down. "What's wrong?"

"She's gone, son." His dad said getting up from his kneeling position. He walked over and hugged his son tightly.

"Voyager has been found." He said.

His father pushed him away to look at him. "What?"

"Admiral Paris is on the com. They received a message from Voyager. It's in the Delta Quadrant."

The older Allensworth looked back to the still body of his late wife. "If only the message had come sooner."

In the doorway, the events were witnessed by Captain Allensworth and a tear escaped his control and fell down his cheek.

Counselor Nycz sat Alex Merriell in her counseling office. It seems that she had been working overtime lately. A lot of crewmembers have been reporting realistic dreams that were based on true events. Normally, there wouldn't be anything unnatural with that but the events of all of these dreams seem to be tragic and with half the crew experiencing these dreams, something has to be up. She hadn't been hit with these dreams yet.

"I was there, Counselor." Alex said. "I was there on the Farragut when it was destroyed by the Klingons near the Lembatta Cluster. I could see all my friends and fellow crewmembers. It seemed so real."

"But it wasn't." Christine said. "That's what you need to remember. It happened seven years ago."

"I know, Counselor. I just needed to talk to someone about it. I know that some of the crew have been having similar dreams."

Christine nodded. "It's true. I'm not sure why either."

"Must be the water." Alex said with a slight grin. He stood up and slightly stretched. "Thank you, Counselor." He said as he walked out the door.

Christine stretched herself. She ran her hands down the top of her head and interlocked her fingers behind her head.

"I'm exhausted." She said quietly to herself. She plopped down on the couch and before she knew it, she had drifted asleep.

Christine opened her eyes to find herself on the bridge of her old ship, the Nebula class USS Bonchune.

"Coming into visual range." Said the officer at ops.

"On screen." The captain said.

Nycz took a look at the screen and saw a Federation starship on the screen.

"Magnify."

The ship became bigger on the screen and it was the Prometheus. The Prometheus was an experimental starship that was hijacked by Romulans.

"Now in weapons range." The tactical officer said.

Nycz recognized that voice. It was her friend Lindsey Taylor. The two were friends at the academy and just happen to end up on the Bonchune. Taylor was the Chief of Security on the ship and also ran tactical.

"Fire phasers."

"Firing." Taylor announced.

The Bonchune fired its phasers, striking the Prometheus' aft shields.

"Fire again."

Again the Bonchune hit the Prometheus. Then a set of beeping came from the ops console.

"Sir, the Prometheus is separating into its multi vector assault mode."

Nycz saw the new ship separating into three different parts. If she remembered correctly, all of the sections could attack.

"Fire." The captain ordered.

The Bonchune fired again, hitting the middle section. The Nebula class ship flew in between the three sections. The section on the port side fired first, then the section in front, then the section on the starboard side. The ship rocked viciously from the phaser impacts.

_Where was I during this time? _Nycz wondered to herself. Then it dawned on her. _That's right, I was on my way to the bridge, when the ship was hit and I was knocked unconscious. _

"Sir, both ships on both sides of us are firing." Taylor announced.

The Bonchune was rocked hard by the attack. The attack disabled the Nebula class ship as it dropped from pursuit. The tactical station exploded, sending Taylor down to the deck. The captain looked back to see Taylor's eyes still wide open but lifeless. Shrapnel was embedded into the young girl's neck and lower face. The captain pressed a button on his chair.

"Medical team to the bridge."

Nycz ran over to friend and clutched her lifeless hand. Nycz hadn't been able to say goodbye. She was in sickbay when the accident occurred and was still unconscious when they sent her body out into space. Now her chance.

"Linds, I'm so sorry. You were a good friend and I'll never forget you."

At that moment, Christine heard a familiar voice.

"Counselor?"

It was Allensworth's voice. She looked up all around her but didn't see anyone except the bridge crew. "Captain?"

"Counselor?"

At that moment, Christine's eyes shot open. She was slightly startled by Allensworth's sudden appearance.

"Captain," She said as she leaned up to compose herself. "I'm sorry. I must've dozed off."

"It's okay, Counselor. I know you've been working hard with the crew lately. I had a similar dream and it would appear that you did as well."

Christine nodded.

"There's something going on and I intend to find out." Allensworth said.


	5. Dimethyltryptamine

Captain Allensworth sat at the head of the table in the conference room with the rest of the senior staff. His concern was obvious. Although their current situation didn't cause any immediate threat, it could have serious repercussions on the crew.

"I know some of you have experienced weird dreams lately. I, myself have fallen victim to the dreams as well." He turned to Counselor Nycz, who was on his left. "Counselor, you've dealt with the crewmembers who have experienced these dreams, can you tell us anything they have in common or anything at all that could help us solve this mystery?"

"The one thing they all have in common aside from they all began around the same time is that they all had to deal with the death of someone close to the person who experienced the dream. Like I, myself witnessed the death of a friend on the USS Bonchune. While my past self was on the ship, she was not there to witness the event."

Allensworth nodded. "I see." He turned to his first officer. "Jason, what about you?"

"Well, I saw the death of my step-sister. I had lived these past few years not completely knowing how she died or even got to say goodbye to her. I was able to feel closure."

"Zofchak?"

"I saw my sister at AR-five five eight."

"Did you feel the same way?" Allensworth asked.

Dustin nodded.

"Counselor, who was the first person to contact you about their dream?"

"Commander Sparhawk, sir."

"Jason, do you remember when your dream occurred?"

"Probably around the time we entered the nebula. I was talking with Counselor Nycz after the dream and we had been in the nebula for a few hours."

"I think we may have something here but I'm not sure. Merriell, I want you to team up with Commander Zofchak and Commander Sato to dig up anything you can on this nebula and report to me once you find anything."

"Aye, sir." He and Zofchak said.

"If nothing else dismissed."

The officers stood up and exited the room.

Zofchak walked along side Merriell as they left.

"Man, if Data was still alive, we could just contact him and he could probably tell us all there is to know about the Shinjitsu Nebula." He said as the doors closed behind them.

Ensign Michelle Stull entered her quarters just after getting off of her shift from the bridge. She had running Ops this time instead of Navigation. She had run Ops only a few times and took over for Commander Merriell while he was at the senior officer meeting. Then she had to help a few people down in Astrometrics. It had been a long exhausting day. She just unzipped her uniform, revealing more of her yellow turtleneck and plopped down on her bed. She was pretty much asleep before she even hit the pillow.

The next thing she knew, she felt the cool breeze and could smell the salty San Franciscan air. She opened her eyes and saw that she was at Starfleet Academy in San Francisco. The only problem was she instantly remembered what day it was. It was the day the Breen attacked.

Zofchak, Merriell and Sato sat at a computer terminal on the right side of the bridge going over information of the Shinjitsu Nebula.

"According to this," Merriell said. "It was discovered by the Beloti in twenty-three nineteen. But they reported nothing out of the ordinary when they entered the nebula."

"Well, the word Shinjitsu in Japanese means both fact and truth." Hoshi said.

"That could be something to go on." Zofchak said.

"What do you mean?" Alex asked.

"Well, the dreams we've had were all based on past events that we ourselves did not witness but actual events."

"How do we know that they are actual events and not just some illusion making us think they're real?" Merriell asked.

"The thought had crossed my mind at first however some of the crew who has had these dreams actually had dreams where they were there but not actually witnessing the event. Such as Counselor Nycz, she dreamt that she was on her old ship the Bonchune when her friend from the academy was killed while they were chasing the Prometheus. She was there but not on the bridge at the time of her friend's death."

"And me as well." Hoshi said.

The other two Lieutenant Commanders looked at her. Dustin knew what she was going to say and he wasn't going to bring it up unless she was going to. He was actually glad that he was able to use Counselor Nycz's story instead of Hoshi's.

"I saw my own death."

"Like a premonition?" Merriell asked.

Hoshi shook her head. "No, I saw the Hoshi that lived in this universe. The one that was killed on Tarsus Four."

"Oh, I remember that story." Merriell said. "I hadn't realized that the Hoshi Sato of this universe was involved in that."

"So were two Enterprise crewmembers, Kevin Riley and Captain Kirk." Zofchak said.

"It's because of that dream alone is the reason we believe these are real." Hoshi said.

"It's still hard to conceive because none of us were actually present so it could just be our minds trying to put together the events."

"That makes sense and I did think of that until I contacted Kevin Riley, who is still alive and asked him about it. He confirmed everything I saw in my dream." Hoshi said. "He even confirmed the place where I saw a group of teenagers hiding in the dream. He was one of the teenagers."

"Computer," Dustin called into the air. "Make a list of all the elements that make up the Shinjitsu Nebula."

"Dust, hydrogen gas, plasma…" As the computer ran down the list, the feminine voice reminded Dustin of Counselor Troi's mother Lwaxana Troi. "Dimethyltryptamine…"

The word caught Dustin's attention. "Computer, stop."

"What is it?" Hoshi asked.

"Dimethyltryptamine."

"You mean the drug that is found in plants?" Alex asked.

Dustin nodded. "The human brain also produces small amounts. Since dreams are still a mystery today as they were four hundred years ago, people still speculate that Dimethyltryptamine plays a part in dreams. The fact that we found it here in the nebula almost proves that it does."

"Ok so we know that these dreams are based on past events and they were triggered by Dimethyltryptamine that is in this nebula. What are we going to do about it?" Merriell asked.

"We'll take it to the captain." Zofchak said.

Captain Allensworth sat in his ready room trying out a cup of earl grey. It wasn't the best tasting tea in the universe but he didn't mind it. However, it wasn't a drink that he'd drink all the time. He actually wondered why Jean-Luc Picard drank it so much.

_It must come with age._

He took another sip just as the chime to his door rang.

"Come in."

The doors separated and revealed the three Lieutenant Commanders he had assigned to finding any information on the Shinjitsu Nebula.

"Captain, I believe we figured something out on why we've been having these dreams." Merriell said.

"What did you find?" He said leaning back in his chair.

"It's really more theory because no one has really recorded anything when they passed through here. There are no records of any other Federation ships passing through this nebula. We do believe that this nebula is responsible for the dreams we've been having." Alex said.

"We found traces of Dimethyltryptamine in the nebula." Dustin said.

Allensworth raised an eyebrow. "The substance that people believe has a part in dreaming?"

"The same. I don't think it's a coincidence that we found it in a nebula that is causing us to dream certain dreams."

"Ok so we're in a nebula that causes us to dream these dreams. Now what?" Allensworth asked.

"I do have a theory about it though." Merriell said.

"Oh?"

"Based on the dreams we've had. It's possible that this nebula gives people a bit of closure. All of us who have had dreams, had dreams based on the loss of a loved one to which we were not present for. Even if we were told the story on how they died, we still felt slightly empty. As Commander Sato has stated, Shinjitsu means both fact and truth in Japanese."

Allensworth nodded as he took in Alex's theory.

"Well, there's not much we can do. It appears that this nebula is harmless but I really don't want to subject the crew to further exposure to it. Dustin, do you think going to warp inside the nebula will have any effects on the engines?"

The chief engineer shook his head.

"Ok then, we'll increase speed to warp seven. We'll launch a warning buoy to the edge of the nebula, warning any passing ships of what this nebula can do. It is their discretion whether or not to proceed into the nebula. Good work, you three."

The three Lieutenant Commanders nodded in unison before leaving. Allensworth pressed a button on his table.

"Lieutenant McCabe, set a course for Earth and increase speed to warp seven."


	6. Epiloge

_Captain's Log: Stardate: 57618.6. We've returned to Earth and some of the crewmembers have taken some time off as well as myself. Even though none of us really mentioned where we were going, it was pretty obvious where we'd end up. I just hope we all can find a sense of closure now._

Jason Sparhawk sat with his mother and step-father at the dinner table eating dinner. He hadn't been home since being assigned to the Alexandria.

"When is the next time that you'll be home?" His mother asked.

"I'm not sure. It's hard to tell these days. One day I'll be in the Gamma Quadrant and the next I'll be at the Neutral Zone."

"How long are you going to be home?" His step-father asked.

"Only a few days. Some of the crew is taking some shore leave for a few days to re-cooperate. We entered a nebula and experienced dreams that revealed events that happened but it allowed us to give us a sense of closure. For me, I saw Karen on her last mission on the Valiant."

Sparhawk saw the reaction on his parents' faces.

"The dream seemed so real as if I was really there except no one could see me. Karen was second in command of Red Squad. She did her duty up until the end. Even though I can't agree with their mission, I can say that I was proud of her."

Dustin stood with his sister Amanda at their fallen sister's gravesite. Dustin put his arm around Amanda's shoulder and held her close. They hadn't said much since arriving. There wasn't really much to say. They just stood there staring at the headstone.

"So you saw her?" Amanda asked.

"Yeah."

"What was she doing?"

"Defending the communications array. She went out fighting. You know Avery, she won't go quietly."

Tears began to fall from Amanda's eyes. "Yeah, she was like that."

"She went like a true Starfleet officer. Even though it hurt to see what had actually happened, I don't think I have ever been more proud of her."

"I'm sorry." Amanda said.

"For what?"

"For snapping at you back then."

Dustin didn't have to ask when she meant. He knew exactly what she was talking about.

FLASHBACK

Dustin sat in his quarters on the Enterprise going over Avery's service record. Captain Picard had just posted the newest casualty list and Dustin had damn near dropped to his knees when he saw Avery's name. It was a good thing he had just gotten off duty; otherwise he didn't think that he'd be able to perform his duties with that on his mind. At that moment his door chimed.

"Come in." He said softly without taking his eyes from the screen.

The doors opened and to his surprise, it was his other sister. Amanda was stationed on the Solent. Dustin wasn't really expecting to see her. He stood up and hugged her tightly.

"Amanda? What are you doing on the Enterprise?"

"We were nearby and Captain Hinton figured it would be good for me to see you. She also saw it as an opportunity to talk to Captain Picard about the war."

"How are you holding up?"

"I'm all right." Dustin said. "What about you?"

"Been better but I'll hang in there. What are you doing?"

"Just going over Avery's service record."

Amanda sat down in Dustin's chair and stared at their sister's picture. She saw Dustin turn away and stare out his window to the star field.

"I know you're mad and upset."

"You're damned right I'm mad. Avery was killed by those blasted Jem'Hadar and I plan to make every one of them pay for what they did."

"That's pretty damn selfish." Amanda said standing up.

Dustin turned to look at her.

"Do you think you're the only one hurting? Do you think you're the only one in pain? Let me tell you something. You're not. Everyone else who knew and loved her is in as much pain as you and I are."

Dustin knew she was right. It was just hard for him to accept that he would never see his little sister again. He grabbed Amanda and pulled her in for a hug. They both embraced each other tightly."

END FLASHBACK

"Don't worry about it. You had every right to." Dustin said. He pulled her in for a hug that lasted for a few seconds before he broke from it. "Come on, I have someone I want you to meet."

The two siblings walked off together.

Hoshi Sato sat on her knees in a praying stance in a cemetery in Kyoto, Japan. She looked at the Kimura family shrine and the names inscribed on the stone; Takashi and Hoshi. Takashi Kimura was the man who the Hoshi Sato of this timeline married. Hoshi stood there wondering what he was like and what their life was like after Starfleet. She wanted to know this Hoshi.

Then out of her peripheral vision. She saw someone kneel down next to her. She looked over and saw Dustin praying in a Japanese fashion. She seemed a bit surprised by his sudden appearance. He raised his head and opened his eyes.

"I know a bit about Japanese customs." He said. "I have an ancestor from the twenty-first century who married a Japanese woman."

She nodded and turned back to face the family stone.

"It almost seemed like a waste for someone like her to go through all that this timeline's Hoshi went through. She survived close calls, went on dangerous missions and only to be executed by a genocidal governor."

"It does seem that way. Captain Kirk died in a similar way. He survived close calls, dangerous missions, did all these great things but died when he and Captain Picard fought Doctor Soran on Veridian Three. A bridge collapsed and down he went. Doesn't seem like the right way to go for someone like him. One thing I know is that it doesn't matter how you go out, what matters is what you do before you do. This Hoshi did a lot before she died and I even though you're the same person biologically and share similar memories, she led a different life than what you're living. You will certainly not marry Takashi Kimura and die on Tarsus Four. You will do something else and become something else."

Dustin stood up as well as Hoshi. He placed a hand on her shoulder. The two turned and Hoshi just now noticed Amanda standing there. Dustin led Hoshi over to his sister and introduced the two to each other.

Ensign Michelle Stull stood in a cemetery in San Francisco. This portion of the cemetery was dedicated to those who fell during the Dominion War, more specifically on the day the Breen attacked Starfleet Headquarters and the Academy. The tombstone she stared at was one that had the name of Danielle Stull, 2355-2375, beloved daughter and sister. Just like Michelle, Danielle was a half Trill hence the human name. She was a year younger than Michelle and at the top of her class at Starfleet Academy until she was killed in the Breen attack. The two sisters were supposed to meet for lunch that day but Danielle was vaporized during the attack. Michelle never saw her again and never got to say goodbye.

"Goodbye, sis."

Until now.

Captain Jermaine Allensworth sat with his father and siblings around the dinner table. He hadn't been home since he took command of the Alexandria. He told them about the dream he had about their mother and at first they were a bit skeptical but after he told them precisely what had happened then they realized the dream was true. During their time around the table they shared stories of fun times they all shared together with and without their mother. Jermaine's father remained mostly quiet, taking in the sight of his three kids talking and laughing. He got up and walked out of the room and returned about a minute later with a glass of wine and four glasses. He poured an equal amount of wine into each of the glasses and handed one to each of his children. He then raised his into the air and the three siblings followed suite.

"Here's to Antoinette Allensworth. She was one hell of lady, one hell of a mother, one hell of a wife."

The four of them all took a drink to their mother's memory.

A few days later, the crew of the Alexandria stood at their respective stations. They seemed a bit more relaxed and collected after their shore leave. They all seemed to have a sense of completion about them. Allensworth sat in his center chair with Sparhawk on his right and Nycz on his left.

Merriell spun around in his chair to face the captain. "Course laid in and ready for departure, sir."

Allensworth turned to Sparhawk. "What do you think, Commander? Do you think we're ready to head out or do you think we still need a vacation?"

"Well, we could spend some time on Risa, sir."

Nycz smiled. Allensworth looked as if he was contemplating it. The captain looked around the room and saw the faces of his officers. Some looked like they wanted to go to Risa, others looked like they didn't know what to think. He smiled and then turned to face the view screen.

"Helm, hit it."

The End.


End file.
